What exactly is cyber security? It’s mentioned in the news daily, but what does it mean? Cyber security is the use of technology, processes, and practices to protect networks, devices, programs and data from unauthorized access.
Maurice Gibson, Rachel Serrao and Johanna Lee from mthree attended the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Conference in Cleveland. One of the discussions that resonated with our team is that cyber security is about people. People use technology, and sometimes people misuse it. But people can learn to use it better. That's where cyber security starts – with individuals using technology responsibly.
> INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
We need to be conscientious of security in our everyday tasks because of the amount of information easily accessible through our smartphones and laptops. With many companies now offering remote work options, cyber security understanding needs to begin on day one and be built into the tasks we can complete daily as we are all security owners.
Be proactive and protect your cyber security. Below are some tips we recommend to help you become cyber smart.
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Create strong passwords.
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Secure your devices, including your home network.
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Keep software up to date.
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Back up critical and important files.
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Implement multi-factor authentication.
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Inspect emails and text messages to avoid phishing scams. Look at the from email address, hover over links – does the display text match the URL address?
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Be careful of what you download – make sure it’s from a trusted source.
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Be careful with how much personal information you share online.
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Close unused accounts.
> CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
According to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach report, the average data breach cost soared to $4.24 million in 2021. While companies are increasing their spend in cyber security technologies, training and awareness programs, the number of cyber threats and attacks is accelerating quicker than most companies’ ability to mitigate risk. The human element remains the largest risk in cyber security.
Leaders need to take a top-down approach and implement mechanisms to change the attitudes and beliefs employees have about cyber security. Every employee should know what their part is in keeping the organization safe. Cyber security is not just meant for those within information security departments. Employees should know how to report potential threats. They need to be clear and specific when they relay the information. This is not the time to be vague.
Another way that companies are making cyber security part of their culture is by including exercises to practice cyber safety as part of the formal employee evaluation. For example, companies may create phishing campaigns to determine how many employees can detect that it’s trying to gain access to their login and password? By evaluating how employees perform during these practice exercises, you can gain a better understanding of what areas of cyber security awareness need to be improved upon.
> THE mthree CYBER SECURITY PATHWAY
Businesses need to have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place alongside a young talent pool. After hearing our clients’ struggles with sourcing cyber security talent, we have created a new hire-train-deploy pathway focusing on the different components of cyber security. Our pathway aligns with industry needs in areas employers struggle to find talent: cyber risk management, application development security, cloud security, and information security.
We source graduates with diversity in mind. We look outside the status quo and find individuals who are not only bright and ambitious but genuinely have a passion for cyber security and information technology.
Within the mthree Academy, we train junior talent on your company’s specific tech stack so that they can contribute from day one. Training is ongoing and their skills quickly accelerate with the guidance of our instructors who are armed with experience and knowledge that help shape graduates into cyber security professionals.
> We’d love to help you get the edge!
mthree gives an edge to employers by finding great talent that’s job-ready from day one.
Interested in future-proofing your workforce by bringing in pre-trained graduates with the skills you need, or reskilling your existing staff? Or have questions about the rebrand? Get in touch with our team at [email protected]
